Nanoporous ternary intermetallic alloy for high-efficiency electrocatalytic nitroarene hydrogenation.

Authors

Ruiqi Yao, Meixin Qu, Yue Zheng, Yingqi Li, Huaqiao Tan, Yonghui Wang, Xingyou Lang, Yangguang Li

Published in

Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003). Oct 12, 2026. Epub Oct 12, 2026.

Abstract

Aromatic anilines are indispensable building blocks in the chemical industry, serving as key intermediates for agrochemicals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, etc. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene offers a mild, sustainable, highly controllable route for aniline synthesis. However, the high current density and remarkable faradaic efficiency of aniline are not simultaneously achieved. Herein, we develop a self-supported alloy electrode featuring an intermetallic Al₃Cu₂(Pd) phase anchored on a nanoporous Cu skeleton (np-8CuPd). Benefiting from its unique bimodal nanoporous architecture and ternary intermetallic composition, the np-8CuPd electrode delivers a remarkable nitrobenzene conversion of ∼93.6%, aniline selectivity of ∼99%, and an outstanding faradaic efficiency (FE_aniline) of ∼92.7%. These excellent metrics are achieved at an ultralow applied potential of -0.03 V (versus RHE) in a 1 M KOH aqueous solution containing 8 mM nitrobenzene, where a high current density of 154.6 mA cm^-2 is attained. Its exceptional electrocatalytic performance is attributed not only to its nanoporous architecture, which provides a high specific surface area and enables rapid mass/electron transport, but also, and more critically, to the bifunctional active sites within the ternary intermetallic phase. In this unique configuration, Pd sites facilitate H₂O dissociation to generate H* species, while the adjacent electron-deficient Cu sites ensure moderate adsorption of the substrate and reaction intermediates, thus significantly enhancing the selectivity toward aniline. This work establishes a promising strategy for the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts through controlled alloy composition and morphology engineering.

PMID:
42862167
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Oct 2026.

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